


Overheard

by bpd_changeling



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, because its exhausting being an ass 24/7, even for petunia, jily, lames, lily gets some advice from her sister
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-16
Updated: 2017-10-16
Packaged: 2019-01-18 09:23:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12385386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bpd_changeling/pseuds/bpd_changeling
Summary: In which Petunia overhears a conversation and Lily gets advice from the person she most wanted it from.(I don't think there's any cursing in here, for once)





	Overheard

     Petunia came downstairs one morning over summer holidays for breakfast but stopped when she heard familiar voices in the kitchen. Lily and Mum were at the table, sipping juice and giggling.

"Is he cute?" Mrs. Evans was saying.

"Oh, _so_ cute," Lily answered. "He's got this perpetually messy, curly black hair and gorgeous hazel eyes. He wears these geeky, thick-framed glasses, but somehow it works. He's muscular without being bulky, and he's got this perfect crooked grin that just _kill_ s me." Petunia could see through the crack in the door that Mum was smiling wide, eyes sparkling with interest.

"And does he _know_ he- ahem- kills you?" Lily shook her head vehemently.

"No, there's no way."

"Why? How do you think he feels about you?" Here, Lily flushed and covered her face for a moment.

"No idea. I mean, I did reject him about a dozen times."

"God, why?" Mrs. Evans asked, laughing.

"Because he was a stupid, arrogant toerag at the time!"

     Petunia leaned against the wall, heart beating fast for no valid reason. It didn't matter, not really. It was just... in another life, it might have been her in there, sitting with her sister, hearing all about her crush and giving advice. She didn't understand; she hated magic and she hated her freak of a sister. So why did she feel this awful ache in her chest? She had her own friends, _normal_ ones, to talk to about romance. She was engaged, for God sake. And yet, Petunia felt strange today. So today, she took a deep breath, steeled herself, and walked into the kitchen. Lily broke off mid sentence- she'd been saying something about a sport the boy played. Quidditch? That's what it sounded like, anyway. Feeling increasingly stupid, Petunia gave an awkward smile. Maybe by instinct or maybe by choice, Lily smiled back. Hesitantly, and glancing over every few seconds to gauge Petunia's emotions, she resumed speaking.

"Anyway, he's different now. I mean, he's still pretty arrogant on the surface, but he can also be sweet and awkward and insecure. And he never hexes people anymore, unless- you know- they use a slur. Especially about me."

     Petunia frowned, speaking up: "What slur could apply to you? You're straight and white and atheist." Lily gave a sad sigh.

"People don't care much about skin color or religion in the- in my world, Tuney. It's blood that people care about. Some folks think purebloods- the ones with only magical blood- are above the rest of us, especially muggleborns like me. They say we don't deserve magic or that we increase the likelihood off having nonmagical children, which is bullshit, by the way. Some of them want us to turn in our wands and leave; others want us dead. All of them- the blood purists, I mean- call people like me 'mudbloods'. Dirty blood, you see. It's a foul word."

     Petunia almost gasped. That sounded awful. Instead, she asked, "But this boy of yours, he's not like that?" Lily grinned again.

"Not at all. He's ridiculously gallant about the whole thing, honestly. He always gives me a chance to cast the first hex, just to make sure I know he knows I'm not weak, but he's always there to defend me, too. I think he gets madder than I do." Petunia's mind was reeling. She didn't want to get involved in this. She hated magic and the idea of hexing someone and all that, but she also- for whatever reason- hated the idea of, in essence, racists targeting her sister. And if this boy was protecting her, then...

"Ask him out." Lily blinked.

"Sorry, what?"

"You heard me. Ask him out. He clearly still likes you if he so _gallantly defends your hono_ r, as you say, so go for it. That is, if you feel like it. I don't really care. At all." She stuck her nose up and, trying to appear haughty, swept from the room. From the hall, she heard her mother's voice saying, "Well, that settles it, doesn't it?" And Lily's, answering, "I guess it does," before she was out of earshot.

     Back in the kitchen, Lily couldn't stop smiling. She'd been trying to pretend otherwise, but her sister's opinion on the matter had been what she'd craved most in the world, and she thought she'd never get it. But now she had.


End file.
